On average, an adult makes around 35,000 decisions every day. Many of these decisions don’t require much thought and don’t have dire consequences. Some decisions, however, can affect your future. If you are a manager, your decisions affect your team and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, as a manager, you will need to make quick decisions while under a lot of pressure. How do you go about ensuring that your decisions won’t impact the future of your company?

There are multiple strategies that PGDM colleges in India teach their students about making good decisions. Let’s take a look at a few of those:

1. Re-evaluate The Problem

When you are faced with a problem, it’s tempting to go head first into solving it. However, to ensure that you don’t make the wrong decision, it’s best to step back and rethink the problem. Taking a step back will give you the time to look at the bigger picture and help you look at the obstacle from all angles. Try looking at the problem from at least three different perspectives and then choose the best possible solution.

2. Make evidence-based decisions

Using scientific evidence rather than instincts to make a decision is the basis of evidence-based management (EBM). Humans tend to use their experiences to judge and make decisions about problems. However, your experiences in previous companies may not be helpful to solve issues in a new one. There are a few steps you can take to make evidence-based decisions.

Use data to support your decisions.
See if you have any evidence to support your gut feeling
If someone suggests a course of action, find out what it’s based on and if it is supported by data.

3. Question The Status Quo

It’s comfortable to stay inside the boundaries of your comfort zone. But being comfortable in your approach to problem-solving may not lead to good solutions. Examine all your available options and see if you can find a better and newer one. For example, would you focus on digital marketing, traditional marketing or a mix of both? What will work for you and give you the best results possible? Go beyond what has been done. Your new solutions will make other uncomfortable only if you have no data to support your claims.

Making a decision can be overwhelming, but using proven strategies can be helpful. If you are a manager in an organization and are struggling with decision making, ensure that you follow the tips mentioned above. If you are aspiring to be a manager, PGDM colleges in Kolkata and other cities teach students the multiple steps they can use to make better decisions.